1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to holders for tools and in particular to a holder for tubes of caulk, adhesives and other compounds.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Caulks, adhesives and other compounds (referred to herein collectively as "caulk") are widely used in the construction and painting professions. Caulk is most often sold in disposable tubes. The standard caulk tubes have a dispensing tip at one end, and a piston at the opposite end. The term "caulk tube" as used herein refers to tubes of adhesive and other compounds as well as caulk. As the piston is pressed toward the tip, it pushes caulk through the dispensing tip. Caulking guns that accept these standard tubes and facilitate the dispensing of the caulk from the tube are well known. When the user empties a caulk tube, he or she can simply discard the empty tube and insert a full one into the caulking gun.
Workers in the construction and painting professions often work on ladders, scaffolds, and other places removed from their stock of supplies. Because so much caulk is used, it is often necessary to descend from the ladder, scaffold, or other location to obtain a fresh tube of caulk. These repeated trips to obtain fresh tubes of caulk are not only tiring and time-consuming, they can also be dangerous.
Some workers place several tubes in a bucket and leave the bucket near the work area. This shortens the trips. However, when working on ladders, having to go up and down the ladder to retrieve fresh tubes of caulk is still tiring, time-consuming, and dangerous.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,190 discloses a vest with horizontal sleeves formed from an elastic fabric. The sleeves are designed to hold tubes of caulk. The vest allows the user to carry multiple tubes of caulk, thus avoiding the frequent trips to the supply area. However, the vest is uncomfortable and reduces the worker's freedom of movement. In hot climates or working conditions, the vest can be particularly uncomfortable. Also, the vest does not protect the tubes from damage when the worker accidentally bumps or leans into a hard or sharp object.